What makes extra care housing an appropriate setting for people with dementia? An exploration of staff decision-making

This NIHR funded study by PSSRU Manchester sought to provide new understanding of perspectives of frontline practitioner' and social care managers on the appropriate use of ECH for people with dementia.

It found that frontline practitioners saw extra care housing as a valuable alternative for a significant minority of care home entrants. However, interestingly, extra care housing was not recommended if people needed care at night.

On the other hand, social care managers expressed general support for the idea of extra care housing, but appeared overwhelmingly focused on maintaining people at home and unsure where in the care pathway extra care housing lay.

This paper calls for more evidence on whether extra care housing can be an alternative to care homes and how services should be arranged to meet the needs of people living in extra care housing, including the views of users' themselves.